John Havlik

Dr. Havlik received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting/Business Management from West Virginia University in 1980, a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College in 2004, and a Master of Science and Doctorate in Education from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

A retired US Naval SEAL Captain, John is the CEO of JRH Consulting in Tampa, FL. He offers individual/team consulting on building and leading high-performance teams. He retired in 2014 after 31+ years of distinguished military service, 29 of those years in the Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) community.   

At WVU, he was a 4-year swimming letterman, and his career was highlighted by being the first swimmer in school history to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials (1980), and serving as tri-captain of the first undefeated men’s swim team in school history his senior year. He was awarded the WVU Athletic Council award that honors the senior WVU athlete for their athletic performance, sportsmanship, dedication, and academic achievement while a student. In 2017, he was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2018, John was selected for induction into the Mountaineer Legends Society, WVU’s version of a sports Ring of Honor. 

John enlisted in the Navy in 1982, and was subsequently assigned to the U. S Naval Academy as a swim coach/physical education instructor. He was later commissioned as a naval officer, and successfully completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in 1985. His subsequent military assignments included a full range of worldwide duties in the SEAL and special operations community, to include assignment at the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the SEAL’s most elite operational special mission unit. 

While in the Navy, John completed graduate studies at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, receiving a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies. He received an M.S.Ed. degree in May 2021 and an Ed.D. in 2023, both from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Havlik's book, coauthored with his former WVU teammate Bill Treasurer, is The Leadership Killer: Reclaiming Humility in an Age of Arrogance, which focuses on humility as the fundamental leadership attribute. Learn more at John's official website.